EUROPA OIL & GAS (IRELAND EAST) LIMITED

EDGEWORTH PROSPECT SITE SURVEY

PRE-SURVEY FISHERY ASSESSMENT

MGE0719RP0012 Europa Oil & Gas – Edgeworth Prospect Site Survey – Pre-survey Fishery Assessment F01 27 May 2019

rpsgroup.com

PRE-SURVEY FISHERY ASSESSMENT

Document status Review Version Purpose of document Authored by Reviewed by Approved by date Draft Pre-survey Fishery Gareth F01 Eimear Stafford James Forde 27/05/2019 Assessment (Final Version) McElhinney

Approval for issue

Gareth McElhinney 27 May 2019

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Prepared by: Prepared for:

RPS Europa Oil & Gas (Ireland East) Limited

Dr James Forde Simon Lucas Senior Project Scientist Drilling Manager

Lyrr 2, IDA Business & Technology Park, 6 Porter Street, Mervue, Galway, Ireland London, UK, H91 H9CK W1U 6DD T +353 (0) 91 400 200 T +44 (0) 7979 035 345 E [email protected] E [email protected]

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Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 1.1 Background ...... 1 1.2 Survey Location ...... 1 1.3 Key Geographical Characteristics ...... 3 1.4 Spawning and Nursery Areas ...... 4 2 FISHERIES ...... 7 2.1 Fisheries Management ...... 7 2.2 Commercial Fisheries Overview and Catch Statistics ...... 11 2.2.1 Demersal Fisheries ...... 12 2.2.2 Demersal Fisheries Demersal Catch Statistics for 2017 and landings data for 2018...... 15 2.2.3 Pelagic Fisheries ...... 16 2.2.4 Pelagic Catch Statistics for 2017 and landings data for 2018 ...... 18 2.2.5 Deepwater Fisheries ...... 19 2.2.6 Deepwater Catch Statistics for 2017 and landings data for 2018 ...... 20 2.2.7 Shellfish Fisheries ...... 21 2.2.8 Crab fisheries landings data for 2018 ...... 22 2.3 Fishing Methods on the Continental Shelf and Slope ...... 22 2.3.1 Mid-water Trawling ...... 23 2.3.2 Bottom Trawling ...... 23 2.3.3 Long-lining ...... 23 2.3.4 Gillnetters ...... 24 2.4 Irish fish Discharge Ports ...... 24 2.4.1 Killybegs Fishery Harbour Centre ...... 24 2.4.2 Rossaveal Fishery Harbour Centre ...... 24 2.4.3 Castletownbere Fishery Harbour Centre ...... 24 2.4.4 Dingle Port...... 25 2.4.5 Union Hall ...... 25 2.4.6 Others ...... 25 3 STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION ...... 27 3.1 Fisheries Engagement ...... 27 3.2 Organisations Contacted ...... 27 3.3 Communications Strategy ...... 28 3.4 Commercial Traffic / Navigation ...... 28 4 POTENTIAL FISHERIES INTERACTIONS ...... 29 4.1 Overview of VMS data ...... 29 4.2 ICES Rectangle 30D8 and nearby ICES rectangles ...... 29 4.3 Summary of Possible Fisheries Interaction ...... 33 5 RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 35 6 OTHER OFFSHORE OPERATIONS IN THE PORCUPINE BASIN AREA ...... 36 7 CONCLUSION ...... 37 8 REFERENCE DOCUMENTS ...... 38

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Tables Table 1.1: Coordinates of Edgeworth greater working area node points...... 1 Table 1.2: Fish Spawning and Nursery areas in the vicinity of the proposed survey area (Coull et al., 1998; Marine Institute, 2009; Ellis et al., 2012) ...... 6 Table 2.1: Commercial demersal fisheries – target fishery species, seasonality, target depths, fishing methods employed by the national and international fleets...... 13 Table 2.2: Demersal landings in 30D8 for April to September 2018...... 16 Table 2.3: Commercial pelagic fisheries – target fishery species, seasonality, target depths, fishing methods employed by the national and international fleets...... 17 Table 2.4: Pelagic landings to Irish ports in 2017 (SFPA Annual report 2017) ...... 18 Table 2.5: Pelagic landings in 30D8 for April to September 2018...... 19 Table 2.6: Deepwater fisheries – target fishery species, seasonality, target depths, fishing methods employed by the national and international fleets...... 20 Table 2.7: Deep-water landings from 30D8 from April to September 2018 ...... 20 Table 2.8: Nephrops landings from 30D8 from April to September 2018 ...... 22 Table 4.1: Vessel numbers by nationality recorded by the FMC ...... 32

Figures Figure 1.1: Location of the Edgeworth Survey GWA ...... 2 Figure 1.2: Sedimentary basins around Ireland and Britain (Marine Institute) ...... 3 Figure 1.3: Edgeworth Survey GWA relative to the Biologically Sensitive Area ...... 5 Figure 2.1: Edgeworth Survey GWA relative to ICES sub-divisions ...... 9 Figure 2.2: Edgeworth Survey GWA relative to ICES statistical rectangles ...... 10 Figure 2.3: Spatial distribution of landings for the main pelagic, benthic, gadoid and shellfish species around Ireland (ICES Fisheries Overview)...... 14 Figure 2.4: Demersal fish landed to Irish ports in 2017 ...... 15 Figure 2.5: Nephrops Functional Units around Ireland (ICES) ...... 22 Figure 2.6: 2017 value of fish landings in discharge ports relevant to survey (SFPA) ...... 26 Figure 4.1: VMS screenshot for period Apr-Sep 2016 - 30D8 and adjacent 31D8 (Key: Ireland – Green, Spain – Red, France – Blue, UK – Yellow, Dutch - Light green) ...... 30 Figure 4.2: VMS screenshot for period Apr-Sep 2017 - 30D8 and adjacent 31D8 (Key: Ireland – Green, Spain – Red, France – Blue, UK – Yellow, Dutch - Light green) ...... 31 Figure 4.3: VMS screenshot for period Apr-Sep 2018 - 30D8 and adjacent 31D8 (Key: Ireland – Green, Spain – Red, France – Blue, UK – Yellow, Dutch - Light green) ...... 32

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1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Europa Oil & Gas (Ireland East) Limited (Europa) propose to undertake geophysical and environmental site survey activities along the eastern flanks of the Porcupine Basin, offshore Ireland in 2019. The name of the proposed survey is the ’Edgeworth Survey’ and will focus on the Edgeworth prospect. Figure 1.1 shows the survey greater working areas (GWA). The GWA is located in licensing quadrant/blocks 54/7 and 54/8. The survey at the Edgeworth prospect will be conducted under FEL 1/17 held by Europa Oil & Gas (Ireland East) Limited. Coordinates of the survey greater working area node points illustrated in Figure 1.1 are listed in Table 1.1. It is proposed that survey operations will be undertaken by a single survey vessel between June and late-November 2019. Excluding weather and technical downtime, survey operations are expected to take a total of 14 survey working days. If the survey has not commenced or concluded in 2019, operations will be undertaken sometime between early-February 2020 and late-November 2020. Final details of the timing and duration of the survey will be communicated to the Petroleum Affairs Division (PAD) of the Department of Communications Climate Action and Environment (DCCAE) in advance of operations commencing. Details of the vessel (vessel name, call sign etc.) and survey equipment will be communicated through a Marine Notice published on the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) website (www.dttas.ie/maritime/maritimesafetydirectorate/marinenotices/marine-notices). During survey operations Radio Navigation Warnings will be broadcast daily.

Table 1.1: Coordinates of Edgeworth greater working area node points.

WGS84 WGS84 ED 50 ED 50 Node Point Latitude Longitude Latitude Longitude E-01 50° 47' 52.5806" N 11° 36' 46.7877" W 50° 47' 56.3054" N 11° 36' 41.1023" W E-02 50° 47' 38.9907" N 11° 29' 07.9010" W 50° 47' 42.7097" N 11° 29' 02.2233" W E-03 50° 42' 48.1720" N 11° 29' 29.6874" W 50° 42' 51.8991" N 11° 29' 24.0192" W E-04 50° 43' 01.7231" N 11° 37' 07.7877" W 50° 43' 05.4560" N 11° 37' 02.1117" W

1.2 Survey Location The GWA at the proposed Edgeworth prospect is located on the eastern flanks of the Porcupine Basin. The survey GWA is located approximately 120 km from Dursey Island, off the west coast of County Kerry. Water depths at the survey areas range from approximately 500 m to 1,800 m.

MGE0719RP0012 | Europa Oil & Gas – Edgeworth Prospect Site Survey – Pre-survey Fishery Assessment | F01 | 27 May 2019 rpsgroup.com Page 1 137 132 126 121 112 107 98 93 80 8 Legend 77 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 ¯ Edgeworth Survey 120 113 106 Licensing grid quadrants 99 92 81 76 Licensing grid blocks 16 17 18 19 20 21 119 114 105 100 91 54/2 54/3 82 75 25 26 27 28 33 118 115 104 101 90 83 74 34 35 36 37 42

102 89 84 73 43 44 45 46 48 49 50 51 E-01 165 E-02 0 125 250 Km 88 85 72 52 53 54 55 56 57 58

Client 162 Europa Oil & Gas 86 71 60 54/7 61 62 63 64 65 Figure 54/8 1.1 87 70 69 68 67 66 150 Title Location of the Edgeworth Suvey GWA E-04 155 154 153

RPS | Consulting UK & Ireland E-03 Lyrr 2, IDA Business & Technology Park, Mervue Galway, H91 H9CK, Ireland T +353 (0)71(0)91 913400 8909200 E [email protected] 152 151 W rpsgroup.com/ireland Issue Details

File Identifier: MGE0719Arc0001

Rev: F01

Drawn: JF Date: 20/05/2019

54/11 54/13 Checked: GMcE Scale: 1:5,000,000(A3) 0 2.75 5.5 Km Approved: GMcE Projection: ITM

NOTE: Esri, Garmin, GEBCO, NOAA NGDC, and other contributors 1. This drawing is the property of RPS Group Ltd. It is a confidential document and must not be copied, used, or its contents divulged without prior written consent. 2. Ordnance Survey Ireland Licence EN 0005019 Esri, Garmin, GEBCO, NOAA NGDC, and other contributors ©Copyright Government of Ireland. PRE-SURVEY FISHERY ASSESSMENT

1.3 Key Geographical Characteristics The general bathymetry of the Irish offshore is shown in (Figure 1.2). The dominant feature of the offshore region west of Ireland is the Rockall Trough. The Rockall Trough is a steep-sided elongate depression in the continental shelf, over 1,000 km long and approximately 250 km wide, orientated approximately northeast - southwest direction. Depth in the trough ranges from 1,000 m to 1,500 m at its northern end to 3,500 to 4,000 m at the southern end where it opens onto the Porcupine Abyssal Plain. To the east of the trough lies the Porcupine Basin that also opens onto the Porcupine Abyssal Plain. The basin is approximately 230 km long in a north-south direction and 100 km wide. It ranges in water depth from about 350 m at its northern end to over 3,000 m in the south. The basin is bounded to the east by the Irish mainland continental shelf and the Celtic Sea shelf, to the north and west by the Porcupine Bank and Porcupine Ridge, and to the south by the Goban Spur. The Porcupine Bank and Ridge, and the Rockall Bank and Hatton Bank, remain as shallower plateau areas separated from the continental shelf by the deep waters of the Rockall Trough and Porcupine Basin.

Figure 1.2: Sedimentary basins around Ireland and Britain (Marine Institute)

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1.4 Spawning and Nursery Areas The importance of western and north-western Irish waters as spawning and nursery grounds for stocks such as herring, mackerel, horse mackerel, hake and other demersal species is recognised by the establishment of a ‘Biologically Sensitive Area (BSA)’ by the EU Commission. This area is shown on the map below (Figure 1.3). In 2003, the EU established a specific fishing effort regime inside the BSA and outside the BSA for demersal, scallop and crab fisheries (i.e. different fishing effort regulations apply inside and outside of the box) (Council Regulation (EC) No 1954/2003). In addition to limiting the exploitation of demersal species within the BSA, regulations also control the fishing effort of such species as scallop, brown crab and has extended the scope of control to a far wider range of vessels including all those of 10 m and over. There are spawning, and nursery areas of commercially important species present within the BSA. Many fish species aggregate to spawn. Some species may aggregate behaviourally and so may have extensive spawning grounds that may change location slightly from year to year, while other species may aggregate over a more restricted spatial extent (Coull et al, 1998). There are numerous modes of reproduction in fishes. One of the most common reproduction strategies is broadcast spawning which involves shedding the eggs and sperm into the water column (Balon, 1984) and such species may have more extensive spawning grounds than those species which deposit eggs on the sea floor. Juvenile fish are vulnerable to predators and harsh conditions in the open water. Therefore, it is typical for juvenile fish to stay in sheltered nursery grounds which provide an abundance of food. At nursery and spawning grounds, fish aggregate in large numbers and so are particularly vulnerable to disturbance. The proposed Edgeworth Survey area overlaps known spawning grounds and nursery areas for certain fish species. Pelagic spawning and nursery species in the area include mackerel, horse mackerel and blue whiting, while demersal spawning and nursery species in the area include whiting, ling, hake, monk, spurdog and common skate. Table 1.2 shown below is taken from the Marine Institute and shows a sample of both pelagic and demersal species spawning and nursery periods off the west coast of Ireland. It is worthwhile noting that fish spawning can vary temporally and spatially, such that spawning areas are diverse, and fish may spawn earlier or later in the season.

MGE0719RP0012 | Europa Oil & Gas – Edgeworth Prospect Site Survey – Pre-survey Fishery Assessment | F01 | 27 May 2019 rpsgroup.com Page 4 Legend ¯ Edgeworth Survey Biologically Sensitive Area

0 60 120 Km

Client Europa Oil & Gas

Figure 1.3

Title Edgeworth Survey relative to the Biologically Sensitive Area

RPS | Consulting UK & Ireland Lyrr 2, IDA Business & Technology Park, Mervue Galway, H91 H9CK, Ireland T +353 (0)71(0)91 913400 8909200 E [email protected] W rpsgroup.com/ireland

Issue Details

File Identifier: MGE0719Arc0001

Rev: F01

Drawn: JF Date: 21/05/2019

Checked: GMcE Scale: 1:2,510,730(A3)

Approved: GMcE Projection: ITM

NOTE:

1. This drawing is the property of RPS Group Ltd. It is a confidential document and must not be copied, used, or its contents divulged without prior written consent. 2. Ordnance Survey Ireland Licence EN 0005019 Esri, Garmin, GEBCO, NOAA NGDC, and other contributors ©Copyright Government of Ireland. PRE-SURVEY FISHERY ASSESSMENT

Table 1.2: Fish Spawning and Nursery areas in the vicinity of the proposed survey area (Coull et al., 1998; Marine Institute, 2009; Ellis et al., 2012)

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2 FISHERIES 2.1 Fisheries Management Within EU waters, fisheries management is conducted in accordance with the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), and catching opportunities for stocks under EU competency are agreed during meetings of the Council of Ministers. Under the CFP’s regionalization policy, proposals on certain issues (for example discard plans) are made by the North Western Waters Regional Fisheries Group. National authorities manage activities in coastal waters (i.e. within 12 nautical miles). The fisheries for some stocks are managed based on agreements by the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) and by coastal states. Salmon fisheries are managed nationally based on agreements at the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO), and fisheries for large pelagic fish are managed based on agreements at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). International fisheries advice is provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the European Commission’s Scientific Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF), the Standing Scientific Committee if ICCAT, and the North Western Waters and Pelagic Advisory Councils. The ICES designated Celtic Seas ecoregion includes all or parts of the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of three current EU Member States (Irelands, UK, and France) and of the Isle of Man. The ecoregion extends from north of Shetland to Brittany in the south and includes subdivision VIIg. Total allowable catch (TAC) is the main fishery management tool in the ICES designated Celtic Seas ecoregion. These TACs were introduced for most stocks in 1982, but the TACs (and quotas) were generally not restrictive until the early 1990s. The 2013 reform of the Common Fisheries Policy aimed to eliminate discarding through the introduction of the EU landing obligation. The landing obligation was introduced for pelagic species in 2015 and has been phased in for demersal TAC species since 2016. From 2019, the landing obligation will apply to all TAC species, although there are some exemptions. TACs are supplemented by a large number of technical measures which act as a fisheries management tool. For example, these include measures to improve the selectivity of towed gears (partly in order to reduce bycatch), and effort and gear restrictions. The EU Commission govern both common and regional technical measures. Spatial management is also employed, both for fisheries and for ecosystem reasons. For example, closed areas/seasons are used to protect spawning grounds for fish. Protected areas have also been designated for habitats and species listed by EU Nature Directives. Fishery regulations are in place to restrict certain fisheries that may affect relevant habitats and species, e.g. for cold-water corals. The waters of the Northeast Atlantic are divided by ICES into a series of divisions and sub-divisions Figure 2.1) which are used to geo-reference the boundaries of fish stock and fisheries management areas and to coordinate scientific oceanographic and marine resource research. The waters around Ireland consist of ICES Sub-areas VI and VII which are divided into a series of sub- divisions VIa, b and VIIa - k (Figure 2.1). The divisions are further partitioned into statistical rectangles of 0.5X latitude by 1.0X longitude, or 70 km by 55 km. The proposed Edgeworth GWA lies within ICES statistical rectangle 30D8 in sub-division VIIj2 (see Figure 2.2). The ICES is a network of more than 4000 scientists from over 350 marine institutes in 20-member countries and beyond. 1600 scientists participate in their activities annually. ICES is committed to building a foundation of science around one key challenge: integrated ecosystem understanding of marine

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ecosystems. ICES advances this through the coordination of oceanic and coastal monitoring and research and advises international commissions and governments on marine policy and management issues. They provide the best available science for decision-makers to make informed choices on the sustainable use of the marine environment and ecosystems when deciding quota controls. The Irish Naval Service acts as the official agency with responsibility for the operation of Ireland’s Fisheries Monitoring Centre (FMC). This reponsibility is carried out as part of a Service Level Agreement between the Department of Defence Naval Service and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA). The FMC is located at the Haulbowline Naval Base at Cobh, Co. Cork. The FMC carries out monitoring and surveillance of all fishing vessels equipped with a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) that operate in the Irish EEZ. They patrol the waters around Ireland, monitoring and inspecting hundreds of fishing vessels from a number of different countries. They also patrol the waters of NEAFC adjacent to Irish waters to monitor Irish vessels operating in other jurisdictions. VMS is a system which processes information passed by registered fishing vessels using onboard satellite communications regarding their position, effort and catch. All vessels that are 12m and over are required to have a VMS system on-board. Shellfish (excluding Nephrops) stocks are not generally assessed by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and although they come under the competency of the CFP they are generally not regulated by TAC and in the main, and other than crab and scallop, are distributed inside the national 12nm fisheries limit. Management of these fisheries, by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) is based mainly on minimum landing sizes but increasingly also with the use of input or output controls. The management framework consists of several representative national and regional structures such as the National Inshore Fisheries Forum (NIFF) and Regional Inshore Fisheries Forum (RIFF). These bodies are consultative forums. NIFF provides a structure with which each of the regional forums can interact with each other and with the Marine Agencies. In 2015, the National Inshore Fisheries Association (NIFA) which represents small scale coastal fisheries was founded, and later the National Inshore Fisheries Organisation (NIFO). Both the NIFA and the NIFO work closely together under the federation umbrella of the Federation of Irish Inshore Fishing Associations (NIIFA).

MGE0719RP0012 | Europa Oil & Gas – Edgeworth Prospect Site Survey – Pre-survey Fishery Assessment | F01 | 27 May 2019 rpsgroup.com Page 8 Legend ¯ Edgeworth Survey VIb1 ICES divisions/ subdivisions VIb2 VIa

VIIc1 VIIb VIIc2

VIIa 0 120 Km

Client Europa Oil & Gas

Figure 2.1

Title Edgeworth Survey relative to ICES sub- divisions

RPS | Consulting UK & Ireland Lyrr 2, IDA Business & Technology Park, Mervue Galway, H91 H9CK, Ireland T +353 (0)71(0)91 913400 8909200 E [email protected] VIIk2 W rpsgroup.com/ireland

VIIg Issue Details

File Identifier: VIIj2 MGE0719Arc0001

Rev: VIIk1 VIIf F01 Drawn: JF Date: 21/05/2019

Checked: GMcE Scale: 1:2,510,730(A3)

Approved: GMcE Projection: ITM

NOTE:

1. This drawing is the property of RPS Group Ltd. It is a VIIe confidential document and must not be copied, used, VIIh or its contents divulged without prior written consent. 2. Ordnance Survey Ireland Licence EN 0005019 Esri, Garmin, GEBCO, NOAA NGDC, and other contributors ©Copyright Government of Ireland. 34D5 34D6 Legend 34D7 ¯ 34D8 34D9 Edgeworth Survey 34E0 ICES Rectangle

33D5 33D6 33D7 33D9 33D8 33E0

32D5 32D6 32D7 32D8 0 25 50 Km 32D9 32E0

Client Europa Oil & Gas

31D5 Figure 31D6 2.2 31D7 31D8 31D9 31E0 Title Edgeworth Survey relative to ICES statistical rectangles

RPS | Consulting UK & Ireland Lyrr 2, IDA Business & Technology Park, Mervue Galway, H91 H9CK, Ireland T +353 (0)71(0)91 913400 8909200 30D5 E [email protected] 30D6 W rpsgroup.com/ireland 30D7 Issue Details 30D8 30D9 File Identifier: 30E0 MGE0719Arc0001

Rev: F01

Drawn: JF Date: 21/05/2019

29D5 Checked: GMcE Scale: 1:1,015,859(A3) 29D6 Approved: GMcE Projection: ITM 29D7 NOTE: 29D8 29D9 1. This drawing is the property of RPS Group Ltd. It is a 29E0 confidential document and must not be copied, used, or its contents divulged without prior written consent. 2. Ordnance Survey Ireland Licence EN 0005019 Esri, Garmin, GEBCO, NOAA NGDC, and other contributors ©Copyright Government of Ireland. PRE-SURVEY FISHERY ASSESSMENT

2.2 Commercial Fisheries Overview and Catch Statistics The waters of the North-East Atlantic include a large area of shallow continental shelf (< 200 m), two important offshore banks, the Porcupine Bank and Rockall Bank, and a large area of continental slope. Over time, fisheries have developed and expanded from coastal waters, throughout the shelf, to the deep sea and oceanic waters. Fisheries offshore, across the continental shelf and in deep waters are important both nationally and internationally, with a wide range of fish and shellfish species targeted by demersal and pelagic fishing fleets. Making up almost 16% of the total extent of EU waters, fisheries in the waters offshore Ireland are diverse, with many different techniques employed depending on the target species. The Irish fishing fleet is very diverse with around 2050 registered active fishing vessels in 2018. Small vessels (< 10 m) operate inshore, typically targeting shellfish with pots or demersal fish with nets. Vessels ≥ 10 m target a wide variety of species using several types of gear. Vessels in the 12–25 m length range target Nephrops using trawls on several grounds around Ireland and on the Porcupine Bank. Both inshore and offshore mixed demersal fisheries use trawls and seine nets to target gadoids or benthopelagic fish (such as cod, haddock, whiting) and benthic species like plaice, dab or sole. Vessels using gillnets target hake offshore and pollack, monkfish, and cod in inshore areas. Ten Irish beam trawlers target benthic species such as megrim, monkfish, flatfish, and rays. There are dredge fisheries for razor clams and scallops in inshore and offshore areas. About 100 vessels are engaged in aquaculture related activities, including dredging for seed mussels, and mussel and oyster dredging. Twenty-two large (≥ 30 m) Irish pelagic fishing vessels operate across the waters offshore Ireland. Vessels using pelagic trawls target mackerel, horse mackerel, blue whiting, boarfish, and sprat. Pelagic trawling for albacore tuna occurs in these waters when the species’ quota has not been exhausted in the Bay of Biscay. About eleven ‘Vivier’ or ‘live-holding’ vessels target brown crab to the west and northwest of Ireland. Latest available figures from SFPA for 2017 show that there were 21,285 landings to Irish ports from eight countries, with a weight of 318,416 tonnes, and valued at just less than €352 million. The number of landings in 2017 were down 2.4% from those of 2016. The overall value was 5.4% lower in 2017, with the average value per tonne in 2017 being €1,106 vs €1,347 in 2016. Irish vessels accounted for 87% of the landings, 67% of the tonnage landed and 65% of the value. The Irish seafood industry generates an estimated 11,600 jobs, supporting the economic viability of remote, rural and coastal communities. At production level it is estimated that 4,987 people are employed in fisheries, 1,936 in Aquaculture, 3,507 in seafood processing and 1,185 in ancillary services. Global demand for seafood as a healthy source of premium protein is increasing and over the next decade, consumption is projected to grow by 42 million tonnes per annum according to the Food and Agriculture Organization as the world population is set to reach 8bn by 2025. The latest figures show that the Irish seafood sector contributes over €1.1bn to GDP with seafood exports accounting for €666m in 2017.

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2.2.1 Demersal Fisheries Also known as whitefish, demersal fish are slow swimmers and some species are migratory. They congregate on or near the seabed. Demersal fish can be divided into two main types: strictly benthic fish which can rest on the sea floor (e.g., flatfish), and benthopelagic fish (e.g., cod, haddock, whiting) which float in the water column just above the sea floor. They survive on bottom-living organisms and other fish. These fish are nomadic and therefore the vessels need to be nomadic to catch them. The general pattern of demersal catches is that they decrease with distance offshore and depth. The range of species caught in the waters of the continental shelf (up to 200 m depth) include hake, haddock, monk and megrim, saithe (pollack) whiting, cod, plaice, ling and black sole. Shelf-edge species include monk and hake typically targeted at depths between 200 m and 600 m. Fishing methods employed for this diverse fishery include beam and otter trawls (bottom trawls), seine netters, gill and tangle netters, and longlines. The fishery attracts vessels from Ireland, France, Spain, Belgium and UK. The ICES designated Celtic Seas ecoregion groundfish community consists of over a hundred species, but the 25 most abundant of these account for 99 percent of the total estimated biomass (ICES). The most abundant species are haddock, whiting, and pout. Common flatfish species include dab, plaice, and several species of sole and megrim. Monkfish (monk, also known as Anglerfish) & Megrim are found at a wide range of depths, extending from very shallow inshore waters to depths of approximately 1000 m. These fish were originally thought to have little commercial value and until the 1980s were taken mainly as a bycatch or discarded by the bottom trawl fisheries. Monkfish is now one of the most important species caught off the west coast of Ireland, by weight and by value. In the waters over the continental shelf and slope, they are a year-round target species, with an increase in landings during the summer months. This may be due to longer daylight hours allowing increased fishing effort. The highest catch rates for monk are by French trawlers and occur along the shelf edge at depths between 200 m and 500 m. Hake and ling are found in water depths extending from approximately 100 m to 1000 m. Catches are concentrated along the continental shelf edge and the deeper waters along the slope where a directed gillnet and longline fishery takes place. The species are fished year-round with landings increasing during summer months. Spain generally takes the largest share of landings, but more Irish and French vessels have entered this fishery in recent years. The highest catch rates are along the 200 m contour line. Details of the main demersal species are provided in Table 2.1, while the spatial distribution of landings for the main benthic, gadoid and shellfish species is shown in Figure 2.3.

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Table 2.1: Commercial demersal fisheries – target fishery species, seasonality, target depths, fishing methods employed by the national and international fleets.

Species Depth (m) Method Country Season Hake Longlines, Ireland, UK, Spain, Year round

100 m to 1,000 m Gillnets, Trawling France, Belgium, Cod Longlines, Ireland, France, Year round 0 m to 500 m Gillnets, Trawling UK, Spain, Belgium Anglerfish/ monkfish Longlines, Ireland, France, Year round 100 m to 1,000 m Gillnets, Trawling Spain, UK, Belgium, Germany Haddock Longlines, Ireland, France, Year round

0 m to 500 m Gillnets, Trawling UK, Belgium Whiting Trawling – otter Ireland, France, Year round

0 m to 500 m trawls UK, Belgium Ling Longlines, Ireland, Spain, Year round Gillnets, Trawling France, UK, 100 m to 1,000 m Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Norway Saithe Longlines, Ireland, Spain, Year round 100 m to 500 m Gillnets, Trawling France, UK, Belgium Pollack Longlines, Ireland, France, Year round 100 m to 500 m Gillnets, Trawling Spain, UK, Belgium Megrim Trawls - otter Year round 100 m to 1000 m Ireland, Spain, trawls and beam France, UK, trawls

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Figure 2.3: Spatial distribution of landings for the main pelagic, benthic, gadoid and shellfish species around Ireland (ICES Fisheries Overview).

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2.2.2 Demersal Fisheries Demersal Catch Statistics for 2017 and landings data for 2018 The demersal sector is significant to the Irish economy. According to the latest published SFPA annual report, figures show that demersal species accounted for 24% of the overall tonnage but contributed 44% of the total value of all species landed into Irish Ports. A breakdown of demersal fish landing into Irish ports in 2017 is presented in Figure 2.4 Irish vessels landed 52% of demersal species landed into Irish ports, which was worth 41% of the overall value for this segment at over €65 million. For the same period the landings from French registered vessels was worth €51 million for 26% of the tonnage. Landings from Spain and UK registered vessels amounted to 21% of landing and attained attaining 23% of the value.

Demersal fish landed to Irish ports 2017

UK Spain France Ireland Germany Belgium Tonnes 4,904 9,743 18,072 35,215 221 113 Value €'000's €14,191 €27,437 €51,394 €65,208 €710 €359 % Share 7% 14% 26% 52% 0.32% 0.17%

Country

Figure 2.4: Demersal fish landed to Irish ports in 2017

Irish vessels also made a total of 394 landings to ports in countries outside of Ireland in 2017. Of these landings a total of 813 tonnes of Demersal fish were landed with a first sale value of €3.5m. For this fisheries assessment report the SFPA provided landings data from ICES statistical rectangles 30D8 for the period April to September 2018; these data are summarised in Table 2.2. This rectangle encompasses the Edgeworth Survey GWA. The data includes all vessels ≥ 10 m overall length who must report their landings via log books to the SFPA. Vessels under 10 m do not have to keep log books on their catches, therefore, small inshore fishers are not included in the data findings. The landings are comprised of a diverse mix of demersal species. The main species landed from the area were monk, hake, megrim and ling. Other species caught in lesser numbers were rays, squid and witch. In 30D8 (Edgeworth prospect survey GWA), France dominated with landings of 74%, while Spain took 13%, followed by UK and Ireland at 9% and 2% respectively. Netherlands landed 3% of demersal species which was caught in mid-water trawls while targeting pelagic species. It is worth noting that this information relates to landings only. More demersal catches from this area may have been landed in

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other countries. It is also important to note that many of the French and UK-registered vessels are actually owned and operated by Spain.

Table 2.2: Demersal landings in 30D8 for April to September 2018.

Nationality Kgs Overall %age Gear France 274,689 74 GNS, LX, OTT, OTB Spain 46,895 13 OTB, LLS UK 33,065 9 LLS, OTB, TB Ireland 8,811 2 OTT, OTB, Netherlands 6,699 2 OTM Total 370,159 100.00 *GNS – Gillnets set, LX Hooks and lines, OTB – bottom Otter trawls, OTT – Otter twin trawls, LLS – Longlines set, TB – bottom trawls, OTM – mid-water trawls

2.2.3 Pelagic Fisheries Pelagic species are those which, as adults, live in large shoals in mid-water. They are torpedo shaped fish and fast swimmers. They typically undergo extensive migrations between feeding, spawning and overwintering grounds. The principle species, mackerel, horse-mackerel, blue whiting, herring, boarfish, redfish and albacore tuna, are taken while migrating southwards in shoals along the shelf edge to spawn. As they progress along their migration southwards, the effort of movement will decrease their fat content. Catch values also reduce as fat content reduces, and therefore vessels will target these species along the shelf edge further north to the west of Shetlands for prime catches. These pelagic fish are caught with dedicated pelagic refrigerated sea water (RSW) vessels with gears such as pelagic trawls, although purse seines, trolled lures and surface long-lines are also occasionally used for large pelagic species such as tuna. Tows are usually mid-water (between surface and half way to bottom), however, at various times of year, lunar cycle, 24hr cycle, some types of fish (mackerel & horse mackerel) will decide to lay very close off the bottom (1 – 2 m off the bottom) at daybreak and sunset for example. Pelagic vessels will target fish off the bottom of the seabed if the seabed is clean of obstructions to allow the bottom to take the net. Vessels engaged in this fishery off the west coast of Ireland include Irish, Norwegian, Dutch and German (see Table 2.3). The seasonality of activity for the pelagic fishery off the west coast of Ireland is as follows: • Mackerel & Herring – October to March • Horse Mackerel – September to July • Boar Fish – September to April • Blue Whiting – January to April • Tuna – July to September

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Western Mackerel stocks overwinter along the Irish continental shelf edge, before these shoals break up and disperse further west to feed in spring and early summer. They feed on zooplankton (fish larvae, small crustaceans). Horse-mackerel, also known as scad, are thought to show similar migration patterns to Western Mackerel. In the first few months of each year, the Irish trawlers target these large shoals of overwintering fish along the shelf. They often shoal with juvenile herrings. As they begin their migration south, trawlers take mackerel and horse-mackerel in lesser quantities, and this season generally ends in March each year. The main catches are taken at 200m depth contour. Horse mackerel is targeted mainly by Irish and Dutch vessels. Like mackerel, the main catches are along the continental shelf at depths of around 200 m. Mackerel and horse mackerel are Ireland’s most valuable fishery. Blue whiting can be found all along the continental shelf break in open water and extending into the deep basins off the west coast of Ireland, in depths of 160 m to 1500 m. Blue Whiting is a shoaling mesopelagic species found in greater depths during the day than at night. The blue whiting season commences in January and closes in late April each year, although the main period for activity occur during February to March. Spawning takes place off the west coast of Ireland in April. These fish migrate from the south to the north. During the first few months of the year, huge shoals of these oceanic fish are found along the southwest edge and slope of the Porcupine Bank as they move north. Boarfish tend to be found in open waters, away from the coastline at depths of 40 m to 600 m over rocks, coral or sand. They form dense aggregations above banks and ridges. The fishery is open from September to April and the fish are generally taken at depths of 200m along the shelf edge. Albacore tuna is a pelagic and oceanic species found in temperate and warm waters from 250 m deep to the surface, with the younger fish being more surface dwelling. It is a migratory species and is found in the Bay of Biscay to the south coast of Ireland, from 44°N to 52°N in July to August. They return towards Spain in late September or October to migrate further west in November. It is a very lucrative fishery and considerable effort can be seen during the period July to September each year. Tuna catches depend on the gulf-stream conditions, water temperatures and availability of food, and effort is typically located south of 53°N.

Table 2.3: Commercial pelagic fisheries – target fishery species, seasonality, target depths, fishing methods employed by the national and international fleets.

Species Depth (m) Method Country Season Tuna Surface to 2,000 m Line & Pole, Ireland, France, July to September Midwater UK, Spain Trawling, Purse Seine Mackerel and Surface to 2,000 m Midwater Ireland, France, October to March Herring Trawling, Purse UK, Netherlands, Seine Germany, Poland, Lithuania Blue Whiting Surface to 2,000 m Midwater Ireland, Spain, January to April Trawling, France, UK, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Norway,

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Species Depth (m) Method Country Season Faroe Islands, Denmark Horse Mackerel Surface to 2,000 m Midwater Ireland, France, September to July Trawling, UK, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Lithuania Boarfish Surface to 2,000 m Midwater Ireland, UK, September to April Trawling, France, Netherlands

2.2.4 Pelagic Catch Statistics for 2017 and landings data for 2018 Latest available SFPA figures for 2017 shows that 217,497 tonnes of pelagic species was landed into Irish ports during 2017. A breakdown of pelagic fish landings into Irish ports in 2017 is presented in Table 2.5. 72% of all Pelagic landings in Irish ports in 2017 were from Irish vessels and accounted for 83% of the combined value of the fishery. UK registered vessels landed 20% of this tonnage worth 12% of the combined fishery value while Norwegian registered vessels landed a further 7% of fish worth 3% of the combined value; the remaining tonnage for this species class were landed by the Faroe Islands and France. For this fisheries assessment report, SFPA provided pelagic landings data from ICES statistical rectangle 30D8 for the period April to September 2018; these data are summarised in Table 2.6 below. The main catches in 30D8 were Albacore Tuna, Atlantic mackerel, horse mackerel and blue whiting. Vessels active in 30D8 were from two countries; Netherlands targeting mackerel, horse mackerel and blue whiting, and France targeting albacore tuna. It is worth noting that this information relates to landings only. More pelagic catches from this area may have been landed in other countries.

Table 2.4: Pelagic landings to Irish ports in 2017 (SFPA Annual report 2017)

Country Tonnes % share Value €'000's % share by volume by value France 14 <1 €9 <1 Norway 16,297 7 €2,673 3 Faroe 1,360 1 €1,360 2 UK 43,070 20 €10,961 12 Ireland 156,756 72 €74,708 83 Total 217,497 100.00 89,711 100.00

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Table 2.5: Pelagic landings in 30D8 for April to September 2018.

Nationality Kgs Overall %age Gear France 531,925 89 OTM, PTM Netherlands 221,607 11 Total 753,532 100.00 * OTM – Otter Twin trawls, PTM – Pair trawls

2.2.5 Deepwater Fisheries Deep-sea fish are generally defined as the diverse assemblage of fish species living beyond marginal seas and continental shelves at depths greater than 400 m. Deepwater fish live in a very different ecosystem to traditional shelf species as at these great depths there is little light, little food and the fish are vulnerable to the effects of overfishing because of their slower reproductive cycles and slow growth rate. Major habitats are upper continental slopes, ridges, deep island and seamount slopes and summits and deep bank areas, but deep fjords and shelf troughs/canyons are also included. Deep-sea fish ‘stocks’ comprise the subset of deep-sea fishes that are targeted by commercial fisheries or are caught as by-catch. Few of these fishes are truly midwater (pelagic) species, and while most are demersal, or live on or in association with the seabed, some feed bentho-pelagically. Most deep-sea fish stocks are exploited in waters shallower than 1000 metres, although some are exploited up to 2000 m. Details of the main deep-water fisheries are provided in Table 2.6. In the Northeast Atlantic, some deep-water species e.g. alfonsino, blackspot seabream, black scabbard fish, ling, and tusk have life histories like shallow-living demersal species, while others e.g. roundnose grenadier and deep-water sharks, have extreme longevities spanning several decades or more than a century. Deepwater sharks have limited fecundities. Most demersal deep-water species depend on midwater organisms as prey. Fish abundances are highest at depths of 1000 m to 1800 m in the Porcupine Basin. Until 2016, deep-water trawl fisheries were conducted in ICES subareas VI and VII, principally by France, with some Spanish, Irish, and Scottish participation. Trawling deeper than 800 m has been banned since December 2016. This mixed deep-water trawl fishery had mainly targeted roundnose grenadier, black scabbardfish, and blue ling, with a bycatch mainly of smoothheads and deep-water sharks on the continental slope and offshore banks of sub-division VII. The main species taken in the deep waters in ICES sub-division VII are alfonsino, black scabbardfish, black cardinalfish, blackbelly rosefish, forkbeard, greater forkbeard, and tusk. The fisheries take place in depths between 400 m and 800 m at the slope edge.

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Table 2.6: Deepwater fisheries – target fishery species, seasonality, target depths, fishing methods employed by the national and international fleets.

Species Depth (m) Method Country Season Blackbelly 500 m – 2,000 m Trawling Ireland, France, Year round Rosefish Longlines Spain, UK, Black 500 m – 2,000 m Trawling Ireland, France, Year round Scabbardfish Longlines Spain, UK. Forkbeard 500 m – 2,000 m Trawling Ireland, France, Year round Longlines Spain, UK, Tusk 500 m – 2,000 m Trawling Ireland, France, Year round Longlines Spain, UK,

2.2.6 Deepwater Catch Statistics for 2017 and landings data for 2018 Figures from the SFPA Annual Report for 2017 show that deep water species accounted for 0.2 % of the overall tonnage of all species landed into Irish Ports with a value of €1.4 million and a weight of 604 tonnes. Deep-water species are not a commercially viable fishery on their own and very few fishers will target them. In total, deep-sea landings account for a very small proportion of landings into Irish ports. Deepwater quotas are set biennially. The quota for Ireland for 2019 is 251 tonnes down from 540 tonnes for 2018. This represents a 54% drop in one year. No direct fisheries of roughead grenadier, alfonsinos, black scabbard or red seabream are allowed under the quota. They are kept exclusively for by-catches. For this report, the SFPA provided deep-water landings data from ICES statistical rectangle 30D8 for the period April to September 2018; these data are summarised in Table 2.7 below. The landings data for 30D8 showed that deep-water fishing effort was dominated by French registered vessels who took 89% of the catches, with Netherlands 11%. The main species landed are mentioned above. Other species caught include swordfish and greater argentine. As the gear reported is typically used to target pelagic species some of the deep-water species were landed as by-catches.

Table 2.7: Deep-water landings from 30D8 from April to September 2018

Nationality Kgs Overall %age Gear France 14,085 89 OTT, OTB, OTM, PTM Netherlands 1,725 11 OTM Total 15,810 100.00 * OTB – bottom Otter trawls, OTT – Otter twin trawls, OTM – Mid-water trawls and PTM – pair trawls

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2.2.7 Shellfish Fisheries The waters around Ireland’s 7,500km of coastline supports a number of shellfish fisheries including Nephrops (Nephrops norvegicus), Irish Brown crab (Cancer gammarus), Velvet Crab (Necora puber), and Lobster (Homarus gammarus). In 2017 the value of Irish shellfish exports was €129 million. Exports in all the main shellfish categories including Brown Crab valued at €43m, Dublin Bay Prawn valued at €40 million with Irish oysters at €37 million (Bord Bia). The Nephrops fishery is the most valuable demersal fishery in Ireland and the second most important fishery after mackerel for Irish fishermen. In 2017 there were 8,000 tonnes landed with a value of €55 million. Nephrops are also known as prawns, Dublin Bay prawns, Norway lobster, scampi or langoustine. Prawns inhabit muddy sediment and build long burrows at depths from 15 m to 800 m. Depending on tidal conditions, they leave their burrows only to forage or mate, and it is at this time that they are available to be caught by commercial fisheries. The richest Nephrops grounds are in the Smalls, the Minches, and the Porcupine Bank. For the purposes of management and stock assessment, Nephrops are split into 'functional units' (FUs) (see Figure 2.5). The Edgeworth prospect survey GWA is not located in any of the functional units but is contiguous to FU19. Nephrops landings from 30D8 were small. The Landings data provided by SFPA for 30D8 is presented in Table 2.10 below. Irish Brown crab, Velvet Crab, Spider Crab (Maja squinado), and Lobster are found over a wide range of substrates, such as sand, gravel and rocky reefs. These habitats cover a wide range of depths, from rock pools along the seashore, to a depth of 200 m but more usually between 6 m and 80 m with larger crab occurring offshore. Inshore fisheries around the coast are very active generally within the 12 nm limit but can go further offshore if the vessels are certified. Crab are predominately caught using baited soft-eye, side entry pots. The pots are fixed individually or on strings of up to 100 pots with an anchor and buoy at each end. This fishing method has a low impact on the environment and is very selective, thereby greatly limiting the by-catch of other species. Irish crab is an annual fishery with a peak of fishing in late summer and autumn when the catch goes mostly to processing plants around the coast but there is also a peak of fishing activity in December for the Christmas market.

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Figure 2.5: Nephrops Functional Units around Ireland (ICES)

Table 2.8: Nephrops landings from 30D8 from April to September 2018

Nationality Kgs Overall %age Gear Ireland 3,045 64 OTT, OTB, France 1,744 36 OTB, OTT Total 4,789 100.00 * OTB – bottom Otter trawls, OTT – Otter twin trawls,

2.2.8 Crab fisheries landings data for 2018 Offshore Crab Fisheries: A significant proportion of Brown Crab landings are from the offshore fleet of live-holding or Vivier vessels, which predominately fish off the northwest coast of Ireland. Irish Vivier vessels range between 12 and 25 m and use tanks of circulating seawater to store catches of live brown crab. On landing, they unload their catch into Vivier lorries which can keep the crab alive until they reach their final destination, usually either in France or Spain. For the purposes of this report, the SFPA provided shellfish landings data for ICES rectangle 30D8 for the period April to September 2018. During this period 128 kg was landed. 2.3 Fishing Methods on the Continental Shelf and Slope Brief descriptions of the methods of offshore fishing activities are detailed below. EU fishing vessels working off the west coast of Ireland are usually listening on VHF Ch 16 and coordinate their activities between themselves, i.e. no longline vessel will steam in front of a trawler, and

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no trawler will ever tow over a longline. Even though they are in competition for the fish, there is good cooperation between them, and understanding does exist about each other’s requirements.

2.3.1 Mid-water Trawling Mid-water trawling is net fishing, at a depth that is higher in the water column than the bottom of the ocean. Mid-water trawling is also known as pelagic trawling. In mid-water trawling, a cone-shaped net can be towed behind a single boat and spread by trawl doors, or it can be towed behind two boats (pair trawling) which act as the spreading device. Mid-water trawling targets pelagic fish such as mackerel, horse mackerel and blue whiting. The dedicated pelagic vessels are called Refrigerated Sea Water vessels or RSW vessels for short and are only active for about 5 months of the year targeting a single species at a time. A typical Irish RSW vessel uses pair pelagic trawls for targeting pelagic species. Pelagic trawls are much larger than trawls which catch whitefish. The trawls are normally towed between two vessels, at around 4.5 knots. Pelagic trawls are towed at the appropriate level in the water column to intercept target shoals, with gear depth being controlled by altering towing speed and/or warp length. Sophisticated sensors on the net can tell the skipper how much fish is in the net, allowing the skipper to have control over how much fish can be caught at a time. This is important as each vessel has its own quota for each species and if they are coming close to the amount they can take, they can set the sensors to only catch the remaining amount they are allowed.

2.3.2 Bottom Trawling The scientific community divides bottom trawling into benthic trawling and demersal trawling. Benthic trawling is towing a net at the very bottom of the ocean (i.e. Nephrops effort) and demersal trawling is towing a net just above the benthic zone. Bottom trawling can be contrasted with mid-water trawling (also known as pelagic trawling), where a net is towed higher in the water column. Bottom trawling targets both bottom-living fish (groundfish) and semi-pelagic species such as cod, haddock, plaice, sole, and monk. Bottom trawling can be carried out by one trawler or by two trawlers fishing cooperatively (pair trawling). In general, demersal trawlers use a gear ratio ‘wire to depth’ of between 2:1 to 5:1 depending on the water depth they are working in. Typical gear deployed in 200 m of water is 420 m of wire. They can have single trawls (2 wires) or double trawls (3 wires) and generally try to tow in a NE-SW direction consistent with the bottom contours otherwise they need to constantly adjust the amount of wire out, which is difficult and takes time in bad weather or darkness. They do not want to tow uphill because of this constant adjusting or because of obstructions like rocks which could damage the trawls. A normal trawl can last for 4 – 7 hours, and usually there is one hour between hauling and redeployment.

2.3.3 Long-lining This type of fishing is carried out by means of baited hooks attached to a nylon line which is at the same time attached to the main line. These main lines, with the hanging baited hooks, are launched from the vessels, thus forming several miles long lines which are anchored. They are left for a certain period of time in order to make catches that are then hauled on board. Long lining can be divided into surface or pelagic longline, used to catch fish such as tuna and swordfish, or bottom-set or demersal longlines placed on the sea floor, to catch fish such as hake or cod.

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Spanish long liners working on the shelf and slope can deploy up to 18 miles of line with a baited hook at 2 metre intervals. They usually deploy their lines at daybreak and start hauling again at approximately 11am. It can take up to 14 hours to haul in the line, depending on the catch rate. Lines will be deployed on the seabed in the area in a NE-SW direction. A typical trip is 7-10 days weather permitting.

2.3.4 Gillnetters A bottom-set gillnet consists of a single netting wall kept almost vertical by a float-line and a weighted ground-line. The means of capture is that the fish are gilled, entangled or enmeshed in the netting. The net is set on the bottom, or at a certain distance above it and kept stationary by anchors or weights on both ends. Small solid floats, usually made of plastic and either cylindrical or egg-shaped, are attached to the headline and lead weights are evenly distributed along the ground line. The netting is made of multifilament nylon, monofilament or multi-monofilament fibres to keep the visibility of the gear low. The size distribution of the catch is very much dependant on the mesh size used in the gillnet. According to their design, ballasting and buoyance, these nets may be used to fish near to the surface, in mid-water or at the bottom in sea waters. The target species for gillnetters are Pelagic, Demersal and benthic species. Spanish gillnetters may be found along the shelf edge fishing in deeper waters. 2.4 Irish fish Discharge Ports There are designated discharge ports for community fishing vessels operating off the coast of Ireland, some of which are listed below. Certain quantities and species of fish must be landed into designated ports. Under EU and Irish legislation there are requirements to provide prior notification of landings or ‘hailing’. This procedure is in place for both national and foreign vessels. Notifications must be submitted to the competent authority, which in Ireland is the Fisheries Monitoring Centre at least four hours prior to landing. Spanish and French vessels sometimes discharge their catches at Irish ports, but they also transit to their home ports to land their fish. Fishery Harbour Centres (FHCs) are dedicated food ports built to service the requirements of the fishing industry.

2.4.1 Killybegs Fishery Harbour Centre Killybegs FHC is in County Donegal on the northwest coast of Ireland. Its position, at the tip of a deep fjord-like inlet, makes it one of the safest, most sheltered, deep-water harbours on the Irish coast. Killybegs has long been acknowledged as Ireland's leading fishing port and home to the pelagic sector, along with many demersal vessels. It is the preferred port for Irish, Norwegian, UK, Spanish, and French vessels working in the Slyne-Erris Basin and Rockall Basin.

2.4.2 Rossaveal Fishery Harbour Centre Rossaveal FHC is strategically located on the north side of the north sound approaches to Galway Bay. The inner harbour is positioned on the north-eastern shore of upper Cashla Bay and is well sheltered. Demersal and Nephrops landings are the main landings in this port from Irish and European vessels.

2.4.3 Castletownbere Fishery Harbour Centre Castletownbere FHC is Ireland's main whitefish port. Castletownbere is an excellent natural harbour which is located in Berehaven in Bantry Bay on the southwest coast of Ireland. It is sheltered by Bere Island lying 2 km to the south, and the mountainous Beara Peninsula to the north. Castletownbere port is

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the second largest port in terms of landings. Demersal and Nephrops landings are the main landings in this port with mainly Irish, French and Spanish vessels.

2.4.4 Dingle Port Located on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, this is another important discharge port for whitefish landings. Although it is not a designated Castletownbere, it caters for demersal and Nephrops landings. The main landings in this port are from Irish, French and Spanish vessels.

2.4.5 Union Hall The fishing village of Union Hall is situated approximately 74km south of Cork city in a sheltered corner of Glandore Harbour. Demersal and Nephrops landings are the main landings in this port with mainly Irish vessels.

2.4.6 Others Fishers also discharge their catches at other smaller but important ports along the west and northwest coasts including: • Burtonport • Greencastle • Rathmullan • Fenit • Kilronan The landings data shown in Figure 2.6 below are from ports on the northwest, west, southwest and south coasts. These ports are included in the top 20 ports by weight in the SFPA 2017 Annual Report. Killybegs is second after Castletownbere in terms of value, but by far the largest port in terms of volume of fish landed. Pelagic species dominate in Killybegs in Q1 and Q2 each year, but it is also an important port for year-round demersal species from many foreign vessels. Castletownbere is by far the busiest port in southwest for foreign vessel landings.

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Value of fish landings by ports relevant to survey areas 120,000,000 100,000,000 80,000,000 60,000,000 Euro 40,000,000 20,000,000 0

Figure 2.6: 2017 value of fish landings in discharge ports relevant to survey (SFPA)

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3 STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION 3.1 Fisheries Engagement In preparation for the site survey at the Kiely East prospect, Europa, through Sinbad Offshore Support Ltd. have initiated consultation with the SFPA and relevant Fish Producers and organisations (see list in Section 3.2). A one-page fact sheet was prepared by RPS on behalf of Europa which was distributed by email by Sinbad Offshore Support on 11th January 2019. Information provided in the fact sheet included details of the survey area location, type of survey, timing and duration, bathymetry and coordinates of the proposed survey area. All organisations contacted were invited to comment, and the fact sheet included contact details for any enquiries. A response was received from SFPA Killybegs as follows: “This site is located in an active area for demersal fisheries. There is fishing for deep-water and mixed whitefish. 1. Whitefish fishing is very mixed with a lot of different species including cod, haddock, whiting, monkfish, megrim, and hake. Vessels are mainly Irish, British, Spanish and French – trawlers, long liners and gillnetters. The gillnetters, long liners and the deep-water trawlers can operate in deeper water than the standard Irish trawler. 2. Shellfish, Crab & Lobster - no VMS data available as vessels too small. Unlikely to be any shellfish fishing so far offshore. 3. The Albacore tuna are a pelagic species and would regularly frequent this area in the summer and autumn. Quota uptake can be quite varied year on year and can result in different areas being fished each season and both of these sites would be likely to have an albacore fishery. 4. There usually wouldn’t be any Irish pelagic fishing in this area during the summer. 5. It would be unlikely for any spawning to occur at that time of year.” 3.2 Organisations Contacted • Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation (KFO) • Irish South & West Fish Producers Organisation (IS&W) • Irish South & East Fish Producers Organisation (IS&E) • Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO) • Anglo North Irish Fish Producers Organisation (ANIFPO) • National Inshore Fisheries Forum (NIFF) • North Sea Regional Advisory Council (NSRAC) • North Western Waters Regional Advisory Council (NWWRAC) • Pelagic Regional Advisory Council (PAC) • Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) • Marine Institute (MI)

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3.3 Communications Strategy In advance of, and during the planned survey activities, the following communications measures should be considered: • Notification of the survey activity to be given in detail in a ‘Marine Notice’ which will be published on the DTTAS website. This Marine Notice is also sent to all Irish Harbour authorities. • A Radio Navigation Warning to be broadcast numerous times daily by the Irish Coastguard for the duration of the survey activities. • Notification of the site survey to be given in detail in a Notice to Fishermen which will be published by way of advertisements to be placed in relevant fishing journals and online portals (e.g. The Marine Times, The Irish Skipper, Kingfisher Fortnightly Bulletin). • In the case of EU nationalities, a multi-lingual notification campaign comprising a translated survey factsheet should be distributed to fishing organisations and vessel owners in France and Spain. The factsheet should detail planned survey operations. This notice to be distributed to these organisations in sufficient time and in advance of the planned survey. Factsheets should also include a point of contact ashore. • It is recommended that an experienced FLO be appointed to set up daily communications radio briefs to keep fishing vessels operating in the area informed of the planned survey activities. • Survey vessel to issue regular Sécurité messages over VHF radio on agreed working channel. 3.4 Commercial Traffic / Navigation The majority of shipping activity in waters to the west of Ireland are transatlantic sailings between Europe, the Americas and Asia. All the major shipping activity on the west coast of Ireland is concentrated south of Galway. Moderate commercial traffic occurs in the vicinity of the Edgeworth prospect GWA. Cargo vessels transit the surrounding area from the various points of origin to USA and Canada. In addition, deep sea cargo vessels servicing the Aughanish Alumina plant in the Shannon Estuary may also transit the area. These larger ships operate on an autopilot system using a standard route. These ships travel along repeated corridors/routes and despite sea regulations, there may be no crew observing the radar or the sea. This area off the west coast would be considered relatively quiet waters and ship’s crew may be less vigilant. The survey locations will cover a very small area in relation to the overall shipping movement.

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4 POTENTIAL FISHERIES INTERACTIONS 4.1 Overview of VMS data VMS is a part of the EU system for fishery controls. It became mandatory for all European fishing vessels in excess of 12 metres overall length with effect from 1st January 2012. The VMS is a satellite-based monitoring system which at regular intervals provides data to the fisheries authorities on the location, course and speed of vessels. VMS data for 2018 for Edgeworth Survey areas was requested from FMC on 3rd January 2019 and received on 1st February 2019. Analysis of the data shows that the average vessel speed over the three years was 4 kts indicating that the vessels were engaged in fishing activities at the time that they were recorded. Vessels < 12 m in length are not obliged to be fitted with VMS and as such, are not recorded or included in the VMS results shown below. Vessels <12 m usually fish in more sheltered inshore areas with shallower water depths, and any possibility of these fishing vessels in Edgeworth Survey area is remote. The VMS data provided by the FMC includes all fishing vessels ≥ 12m working within ICES statistical rectangle 30D8 and nearby blocks. The data provided covers the period from April to September over the years 2016 - 2018. The FMC supplied the data in tabular format showing dates and time of vessel monitoring, nationality codes, ICES areas, statistical rectangle numbers, along with vessel speeds and courses. 4.2 ICES Rectangle 30D8 and nearby ICES rectangles Figure 4.1 to Figure 4.3 respectively illustrate the distribution of vessels over rectangle 30D8 area and adjacent rectangle to the north, 31D8. French flagged vessels dominate the area with activity focused between the 500 m and 1000 m contour. Landing data results show that French vessels in the area target albacore tuna. Table 4.1 below shows the numbers of individual vessels recorded by nationality in 30D8 and adjacent 31D8 and 31D7 for the periods June to September over the three years 2016 to 2018. France had the greatest number of vessels in the area with an overall proportion of 38%. Spain represented 32% of all vessels targeting this area, followed by Ireland and the UK at 18% and 9% respectively. For the month April to September over the three-year period 2016 – 2018, rectangle 30D8 had 45% of the fishing activity in the period assessed, and an 18% increase in fishing traffic in 2018.

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Figure 4.1: VMS screenshot for period Apr-Sep 2016 - 30D8 and adjacent 31D8 (Key: Ireland – Green, Spain – Red, France – Blue, UK – Yellow, Dutch - Light green)

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Figure 4.2: VMS screenshot for period Apr-Sep 2017 - 30D8 and adjacent 31D8 (Key: Ireland – Green, Spain – Red, France – Blue, UK – Yellow, Dutch - Light green)

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Figure 4.3: VMS screenshot for period Apr-Sep 2018 - 30D8 and adjacent 31D8 (Key: Ireland – Green, Spain – Red, France – Blue, UK – Yellow, Dutch - Light green)

Table 4.1: Vessel numbers by nationality recorded by the FMC

Germany Spain France UK Ireland Others Total Activity

2016 3 134 171 41 74 6 429 2017 8 132 105 40 80 12 377 2018 4 113 169 28 58 7 379 Totals 15 379 445 109 212 25 1185 %age of Total 1 32 38 9 18% 2% 100 % Activity

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4.3 Summary of Possible Fisheries Interaction There are many diverse forms of fishing around the west and northwest coasts of Ireland from aquaculture and inshore fisheries, to offshore fisheries. This report has concentrated on the fishing efforts in ICES statistical rectangle 30D8. The following is our appraisal summarising the various fishing efforts and their likelihood of overlap with the planned survey operations.

Shellfisheries: Nephrops Fishery: The Edgeworth prospect survey GWA is not located in any Nephrops functional unit areas. Landings of Nephrops in 30D8 are small. Crab Fishery: Traditionally an inshore fishery (6 nm to 12 nm), a significant proportion of landings are from the offshore fleet of live-holding or Vivier vessels, which predominately fish off the north-west coast of Ireland. Landings data provided by SFPA showed very small brown crab catches in 30D8 and therefore interaction with this fishery during survey operations is deemed unlikely. Demersal Fishery: The expected interaction with demersal fishing vessels working in and around the Edgeworth Survey can be summarised as follows: Bottom trawlers: There is extensive effort on the whitefish grounds along the slope to the east of Edgeworth prospect GWA between the 600 m and the 200 m contour lines targeting monk and hake and ling using otter and bottom trawls. Landings data received from SFPA show this fishery is active year- round with Spain and French vessels targeting hake, monk and ling, and Irish trawlers targeting monk and megrim. Demersal trawlers from Ireland, Spain and France will transit to and from home ports. Interactions between the Edgeworth Survey and this demersal fishery can be expected. Gillnetters: This is a year-round fishery targets hake, ling and monk on the slope edge, working in depths from 200 m to 600 m. Landings data has shown there is widespread use of this gear in 30D8. The gear used includes static gear on the seabed and poles on the surface. Vessels are Spanish, UK and French flag, 30 m to 40 m overall length. Interaction between the Edgeworth Survey and this demersal fishery can be expected during survey operations. Long-liners: This is a year-round fishery targeting hake along the continental slope, working in depths from 150 m to 600 m. The gear used involves anchored lines to which baited hooks are attached. The vessels are typically 30 m to 40 m in overall length and are mainly Spanish and UK-registered. The landings data provided by SFPA includes demersal catches from 30D8 Edgeworth using set gillnets. Interaction between the Edgeworth Survey and this fishery can be expected. Tangle Netters: Vessels targeting monkfish work along the slope in deep waters from 600 m to 2000 m. This is a year-round fishery and vessels are mainly French (30 m – 40 m in overall length). This fishery employs static gear with poles on the surface for marking and retrieving the nets. The landings data supplied does not show usage of tangle nets in 30D8 Edgeworth. Therefore it can be concluded that interactions between the Edgeworth Survey and fishery type will not occur. Seiners: These vessels typically work in depths up to 300 m. Smaller mesh otter trawls and seiners are used to target a broad mixture of species, including gadoids, flatfish, and other benthic species. These fisheries primarily occur along the slope west of Ireland. Large-mesh otter trawlers tend to target gadoids, monk, or rays. Using seine nets, they target a mixed fishery including hake, whiting, haddock and other

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flatfish. Vessels are mostly Irish with an overall length of 25 – 30m. Effort will be concentrated to the east of the Edgeworth survey GWA and no interaction is expected with this demersal fishery. Pelagic Fishery Mid water trawls: The pelagic fisheries, which account for the largest catches (by weight) in the region are the mid-water and pair trawl fisheries for blue whiting, mackerel, horse mackerel, herring, boarfish, and sprat. The Irish pelagic fishery typically finish targeting mackerel, horse mackerel, herring, boarfish and blue whiting by the end of April. Pelagic landings of mackerel, horse mackerel and blue whiting from 30D8 were reported during the timeframe by Dutch vessels. These vessels are 5,000 tonne freezer vessels up to 120 m long. These vessels can also be expected to transit the area during the survey timeframe. Albacore Tuna fishery: This fishery can be very active during the summer months. It is a fishery undertaken by Irish and UK vessels using mid- water trawls, and by both Spanish and French vessels using poles and lines. The location of this very mobile fishery is determined the feeding grounds of the species which can be anywhere along the shelf depending on factors such as water temperatures, salinity and availability of food. The tuna fishery commences in July and typically finishes up at the end of September. The SFPA have advised that Edgeworth can expect to have Albacore tuna present during the summer months. Landings data indicate that a concentration of French registered vessels were present in the rectangle 30D8 during 2018 targeting albacore.

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5 RECOMMENDATIONS

• Dissemination of information to fishery stakeholders should commence as early as possible. Effective lines of communication should also be maintained during the survey operations.

• It is recommended that the communications strategy described in Section 3.3 should be implemented before the survey commences, with emphasis on notifying EU fishers.

• It is recommended that all persons involved with this survey should be mindful that fishing vessels are also operating under licence and have equal status and access rights. As such it is imperative that respectful relations are developed and maintained for the duration of the proposed survey. These good relations are also important to the success of other oil & gas industry exploration in the future.

• It is recommended that a designated Spanish and French speaking person ashore, with a working knowledge of both the fishing industry and offshore operations should be available onshore in the event that liaison with foreign fishing vessel owners is required.

• It is recommended that coordinates to be shared with the fishing industry are always shown in WGS84 Lat-long format.

• It is recommended that regular Sécurité messages are broadcast by the survey vessel.

• It is recommended that the survey vessel should be particularly mindful of Rule 18 of the IMO Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGs) which covers “Responsibilities between vessels”.

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6 OTHER OFFSHORE OPERATIONS IN THE PORCUPINE BASIN AREA

• DeepSea Fibre Networks Ltd is planning to construct a new subsea telecoms cable system linking Galway, on the west coast of Ireland to Bilbao on the north coast of Spain. This is referred to as the WINS System (Western Ireland Northern Spain). The overall planned route is 1,774 km in length and extends southwest from Galway towards the deep waters of the Porcupine Basin, then towards the Bay of Biscay and landfall at Bilbao, Spain. Most of the system is routed in deep water off the continental shelf. Work is expected on the main lay in June to August 2019. • The Marine Institute will carry out an acoustic survey targeting herring (Clupea harengus) and boarfish (Capros aper) over a six-week period beginning June 2019. The name of the survey is the Western European Shelf Pelagic Acoustic (WEPAS). The survey will be used to determine the distribution and abundance of target species to the north, west and south of Ireland and will take place onboard the RV Celtic Explorer. • CNOOC will drill a single exploration well in the Iolar prospect in the Porcupine Basin over 230 km west of the Irish coastline. The Iolar prospect is located approximately 50 km from the proposed the Edgeworth GWA. • ENI Ireland BV plan to undertake a debris clearance, environmental baseline and habitat assessment at Dunquin North prospect in the Porcupine Basin located 30 km northwest of the Edgeworth prospect. • Europa also propose to undertake site survey operations over the Kiely East prospect located in the northwest Porcupine Basin. • Exola DAC are proposing to conduct a seabed debris clearance, environmental baseline and habitat assessment site survey approximately 80 kms to the northeast of Edgeworth survey.

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7 CONCLUSION Historic VMS data for fishing vessels ≥12 m and landings data for fishing vessels ≥ 10 m provided for this fisheries assessment by the SFPA has been analysed to inform an appraisal of possible interaction of the proposed survey activities with fisheries activities. VMS and landings data shows extensive demersal fisheries in the ICES rectangle 30D8 with five countries present using a range of gear. Demersal fishing that may be encountered by the survey include bottom-trawling, longlines and gillnetting, targeting a diverse mix of fish species (including monkfish, hake, megrim, ling and rays). The landings in these demersal fisheries were dominated by vessels registered in France (74%) and Spain (13%) followed by the UK (9%), Ireland (2%) and the Netherlands (2%). The area is contiguous to Nephrops Functional Unit 19, and landings data show that amounts landed from 30D8 were quite small. Landings in this fishery were dominated by vessels registered in Ireland and France. VMS and landings data have shown that pelagic fisheries occur in 30D8 and may be encountered by the survey. The main species targeted include Albacore Tuna, Atlantic mackerel, horse mackerel and blue whiting. Approximately 89% of pelagic catch in 30D8 was landed by French vessels while Dutch vessels accounted for approximately 11%. The survey may also encounter fishing vessels transiting through the area, steaming to and from their home ports. Recommendations have been made to mitigate any possible adverse interaction between the survey and fisheries occurring within the survey area. These fishers will require regular and clear communications (as outlined in the Communications Strategy in Section 3.3). Advance notification is very important to all fishers working in the area, and notification to EU fishermen by means of multi-lingual notifications should be prioritised well in advance of the start of survey activities. Fishers are concerned implications of Brexit on availability to fishing grounds and are mindful of protecting access to their waters and therefore communication is key to fostering good working relations. Vessels < 12 m are not obliged to be fitted with VMS and are not recorded or included in the VMS results shown. Similar vessel < 10 m are not required to keep report logs of catches to the SFPA and are not included in the landing data assessed. These relatively small vessels (under 12 m and under 10 m) usually fish in sheltered in inshore areas and are unlikely to occur in the Edgeworth Survey area. Interaction with commercial traffic is expected to be unlikely, and recommendations have been made regarding attention to COLREGs.

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8 REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

• Irish Marine Institute - http://www.marine.ie/Home/home?language=en

• ICES - http://www.ices.dk/marine-data/Pages/default.aspx

• Marine Institute - Atlas of Commercial Fisheries around Ireland V2 -2014 http://oar.marine.ie/handle/10793/958

• Bord Iascaigh Mhara - Fisheries Management Map 2017 http://www.bim.ie/

• Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations - http://www.fao.org/fishery/area/Area27/en

• https://www.msc.org/healthy-oceans/sustainable-fishing/fishing-methods-and-gear-types/

• Bord Iascaigh Mhara - 2016 Annual seafood report http://www.bim.ie/our-services/grow-your- business/

• Petroleum Affairs Division - IOSEA 5 study https://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/natural- resources/topics/Oil-Gas-Exploration-Production/environment/strategic-environmental- assessment/Pages/Irish-Offshore-Environmental-Assessment-(IOSEA)-5.aspx

• Irish Pelagic Fish - www.irishpelagicfish.com

• Pescanova S.A. -www.pescanova.com

• Sea Fisheries Protection Agency - www.sfpa.ie

• www.worldatlas.com

• www.msc.org

DISCLAIMER This report has been prepared by Sinbad Offshore Support Ltd on behalf of RPS Group for Europa and is general information about fishery activities in the waters offshore Ireland. While due care has been used in the preparation of information, Sinbad Offshore Support Ltd has no legal responsibility for the content of the information so provided (including, without limitation, as to the quality, accuracy, completeness or fitness for any particular purpose of such information). No guarantee, representation or warranty whatsoever is given, express or implied, relating to any of the content of this report. Sinbad Offshore Support Ltd does not accept any liability for error or omission or for any loss or damage caused, arising directly or indirectly, in connection with reliance on the use of such information.

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